audioXpress January 2022 Looks Ahead at Speaker Technology Developments

Great articles, practical projects, reviews, and audio technology previews start the year in full force! That's what our readers will find in audioXpress January 2022, starting with an update on new materials and engineering approaches for loudspeakers, and articles by Charlie Hughes, Scott Dorsey, Frans de Wit, Ken Bird and Mike Harkins. Brent Butterworth reviews the Olive Pro earbuds, while Raj Senguttuvan from Knowles discusses differentiation for True Wireless Stereo (TWS) design and development.

Cleer Audio is an innovative manufacturer which always manages to surprises positively with well-designed, and innovative products. This year, Cleer returns to CES with two refined products, both CES 2022 Innovation Awards honorees: the Alpha, Intelligent Adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (A-ANC) Bluetooth Headphones, and the GOAL II, Active True Wireless Earbuds. Both models leverage the latest available technologies for personal audio.

Making Audio Augmentation useful for everyone, or pursue the regulatory requirements of OTC hearing aids. This article offers a useful perspective regarding the guidance documents published by the US Food and Drug Administration regarding improved access to hearing aid technology. The agency proposes a rule to establish a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids - to be sold directly to consumers in stores or online without a medical exam or a fitting by an audiologist. But most audio manufacturers are better off by not pursuing this FDA-approved OTC market. Doing so will simply hinder critical experimentation and innovation.

Back in January 2015, I gave a talk about MEMS loudspeakers, and I have regularly written about MEMS speaker progress. A half decade later, it seems we are finally now moving beyond the industry's joke that MEMS’ development progress can be measured in dog years: it takes 7 human years for each year of MEMS’ progress! The big news is xMEMS Labs, a company founded just in January 2018, has announced it is now in mass production of its Montara, a monolithic MEMS “µspeaker” with a slim 1mm profile, and announced Cowell, the world’s smallest monolithic MEMS µSpeaker, at just 1.15mm high and 3.2mm wide.

Knowles announced the availability of a new AI-enabled True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Development Platform that will certainly be welcomed by developers and manufacturers globally, looking to accelerate the product development process, from entry-level to premium applications. The new TWS development kit shortens the design cycle for OEMs, enabling advanced, differentiated products with contributed technology from Alango Technologies and Chatable, among others.

A good example of a premium lifestyle brand that seems to understand well its market segment, New York-based Master & Dynamic announced the launch of the new MW08 Sport True Wireless Earphones and the companion MC100 Wireless Charge Pad. The MW08 Sport TWS ANC earbuds feature a new 11mm beryllium driver, a compact in-ear design using durable materials with an enhanced fit for workouts, and are greatly complemented by the effortless wireless charging pad.

There's truly nothing to see in the new transparent true wireless earbuds that were announced recently by Nothing, a recently formed consumer electronics company based out of London. Touted as "highly anticipated," the Nothing Ear is a comission-engineered, mail-order manufacturing exercise, offering Active Noise Cancellation for just $99 USD. The main feature, the use of transparent plastic, will look great with the ear wax patina after a few weeks of use.

In early March 2021, following a series of announcements in development platforms and solutions for wireless audio, Qualcomm announced Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound, a new end-to-end approach to promote high-resolution digital audio and enhanced voice communications across devices. The systems' approach combines and optimizes multiple Qualcomm technologies for mobile platforms, processing, connectivity, plus the latest aptX Adaptive audio technologies needed to improve the sound experience for consumers. But how can manufacturers and new brands benefit? Will there be a lossless extension for aptX Adaptive? We asked the questions to Jonny McClintock, Director of aptX Sales & Marketing at Qualcomm.

Swedish fashion tech brand Happy Plugs introduced the new Air 1 Zen true wireless earbuds to their family at an extremely competitive price point of $79.99 USD. There is nothing special about the new product, which features an extremely similar design to Apple's AirPods Pro - case and all - if it wasn't for the fact that it offers antimicrobial technology - meaning, using materials that inhibit the growth of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, or mold.